• From: Calgary, AB
  • Registered: 2006-07-17
  • Posts: 182

Topic: Earth Hour

Hi All,

Just wanted to see if anyone else around the world is going to be doing the Earth Hour tonight. 

25 ways to mark Earth Hour 2009

Earth Hour is a global WWF climate change initiative. Individuals, businesses, governments and communities are invited to turn out their lights for one hour on Saturday March 28, 2009 at 8:30 PM to show their support for action on climate change.

Here are some ideas for how to spend the hour:
Attend local Earth Hour events - or organize one. Add your event, or get details on events near you at Events.EarthHourCanada.org.
Go outside and look at the stars.
Find a great viewing spot to see your town or city go dark at 8:30 p.m.
Take pictures and post them to the Earth Hour Facebook page.
Go for a lantern walk through a park.
Patronize local restaurants and businesses taking part in Earth Hour.
Gather your family or friends for a candle-lit dinner.
Meet your neighbours at a street or block party.
Have an acoustic music jam.
Talk to your children about how much electricity your family uses. Brainstorm ways to reduce it.
Tell ghost stories.
Listen to the birds, bats or other wildlife.
Play flashlight tag.
Turn your thermostat down by 1 degree. And leave it there.
Play Pictionary with glow-in-the-dark markers.
Change all your light bulbs to energy-efficient versions.
Have a night game of shinny with a glow-in-the-dark puck or ball (wear reflective vests).
Take a walk in the moonlight.
Have a candlelit bath.
Put a glow stick on your dog's collar or leash and go for a walk.
Toast marshmallows over a tea light candle.
Get out your Ouija board.
Have a wine or scotch tasting in the dark.
Get out the sleeping bags and camp out.on the living room floor.
Make a list of ways you could reduce your energy consumption every hour of every day.


Paul and I are going to have a candlelit dinner and then have an acoustic jam by candlelite.  What's everyone else going to do?

Cheers
Heather

That's All Non-Violence is
--- Organized Love---
        Joan Baez

RavenLady's Website

2 Reply by Russell_Harding (edited by Russell_Harding 2009-03-28 17:27:46)

  • From: A black hole in deep space
  • Registered: 2007-10-28
  • Posts: 7,865

Re: Earth Hour

In honor of this special occasion I shall eat some pizza play a little chess watch a sci fi flick and pass a little gas lol

RavenLady wrote:

Paul and I are going to have a candlelit dinner and then have an acoustic jam by candlelite.  What's everyone else going to do?

"Growing old is not for sissies"

Russell_Harding's Website

  • From: North East England
  • Registered: 2008-10-26
  • Posts: 207

Re: Earth Hour

Erm think i'l pass gas lol oops ozone layers melting geeeeeeee whizz

cool Dont Stop Kid Keep Rockin'  !! cool
  • badeye
  • The Blues Fixer
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  • From: Cape Breton Island, Canada
  • Registered: 2006-09-02
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Re: Earth Hour

practice guitar in the dark


   cool    Badeye..

one caper after another
  • From: Belfast, Northern Ireland
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 338

Re: Earth Hour

Sorry, we were discussing the credit crunch, unemployment and global finance. ( Will try and make it next year ; )

Hope you had a nice meal and that the jam session was a bit of craic.

"What's so funny 'bout peace, love and understandin' ."    Elvis Costello

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  • dino48
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Re: Earth Hour

I think I will be doing what russell is going too do but I may listen too some pink floyds,darkside of the moon.   dino

my papy said son your going too drive me too drinking if you dont stop driving that   Hot  Rod  Lincoln!! Cmdr cody and his lost planet airman

7 Reply by RavenLady (edited by RavenLady 2009-03-29 16:50:54)

  • From: Calgary, AB
  • Registered: 2006-07-17
  • Posts: 182

Re: Earth Hour

Well Boys. We had a very successful Earth Hour, lights out!  (I might even post some pics I took tomorrow)

wink Cheers!

That's All Non-Violence is
--- Organized Love---
        Joan Baez

RavenLady's Website

  • upyerkilt
  • upyerkilt
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Re: Earth Hour

well i am a bit late to do the earth hour thing as it is now Sunday.
So was it just lights or was it all electrical appliances?
I wish the pub i was in last night at 8:30 had the lights off and the TV, that way I would not have seen Scotland get gubbed 4-0 by the Dutch.

lol

I dont think they should have had an earth hour it should have been a full 24 hours.

how to spend it? play the guitar!!




Ken

ye get some that are cut out for the job and others just get by from pretending
  • badeye
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Re: Earth Hour

I timed dinner to be ready when the lites went out and dined with candle lite, only thing is is that the dishes are still in the sink and it was my turn to do em. lol   Im on it.  Would be nice to see the results of earth day, I bet it makes a difference.

  Have a good day....    Badeye   cool

one caper after another
  • From: Calgary, AB
  • Registered: 2006-07-17
  • Posts: 182

Re: Earth Hour

By all accounts it was a huge success this year!  http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/art … wD977M7L00  Here's a good article on it. 

I know I felt good doing my part this year.  smile

Cheers
Heather

That's All Non-Violence is
--- Organized Love---
        Joan Baez

RavenLady's Website

  • From: Calgary, AB
  • Registered: 2006-07-17
  • Posts: 182

Re: Earth Hour

upyerkilt wrote:

well i am a bit late to do the earth hour thing as it is now Sunday.
So was it just lights or was it all electrical appliances?
I wish the pub i was in last night at 8:30 had the lights off and the TV, that way I would not have seen Scotland get gubbed 4-0 by the Dutch.

lol

I dont think they should have had an earth hour it should have been a full 24 hours.

how to spend it? play the guitar!!




Ken

Hey Ken,  We turned off anything that wasn't necessary, including the tv and stereo.  The more the merrier, right?  I posted some pics on my blog of our night.  http://heather-ravenlady.blogspot.com/  Next year I'll try and remind everyone sooner, so more of us can participate and share our stories. 

Hey Badeye, I hope you got those dishes cleaned up by now.  wink 

Cheers
Heather

That's All Non-Violence is
--- Organized Love---
        Joan Baez

RavenLady's Website

  • From: Renfrewshire, Scotland
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 1,359

Re: Earth Hour

upyerkilt wrote:

I wish the pub i was in last night at 8:30 had the lights off and the TV, that way I would not have seen Scotland get gubbed 4-0 by the Dutch.

Ken

Don't know what you were drinking, Ken, but the game I watched (with the lights out of course) ended 3-0 to the Dutch.

Heather,

It looks like you had a real nice evening. It must be nice for you and Paul to jam away to your heart's content. I usually get banished to the spare room where no-one can hear me singing lol

Is anything really made up of zeros and ones??

alvee33's Website

  • From: Calgary, AB
  • Registered: 2006-07-17
  • Posts: 182

Re: Earth Hour

Sure is Al.  We have a grand old time together.  smile

Cheers
Heather

That's All Non-Violence is
--- Organized Love---
        Joan Baez

RavenLady's Website

  • upyerkilt
  • upyerkilt
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Re: Earth Hour

alvee33 wrote:

Don't know what you were drinking, Ken, but the game I watched (with the lights out of course) ended 3-0 to the Dutch.

lol

Yes it was 3, lol, no idea why I typed 4. Drink!!!!


Also Heather, why have this event once a year? It is like vallentines day, you shouldnt need one day of the year to tell someone you love them or mothers day, once a year? it should be once a week.

Also if it is the same time all over the world, I just thought, I would have been sleeping at 8:30pm your time so all my lights were out, even the ones in my head lol

An hour is not long enough, they should make it a full day.

ken

ye get some that are cut out for the job and others just get by from pretending
  • From: Western Oregon,US
  • Registered: 2008-07-22
  • Posts: 2,498

Re: Earth Hour

As for the Earth Hour....  We turned off all lighting and lit candles.  It was very nice, except I had to open all the doors to let the random array of scents out in order to breathe!  I'm thinking that my "carbon footprint" for reheating outweighed the benefit of dousing lights.... but I'm not sure.  Our Power is hydroelectric, and heating is Natural Gas.... both fairly "clean" but of the two Hydro wins in the battle for environmental sustainability.

Everything is converted to CF Lighting so our full load illumination draw is around 150 Watts, but still have way too many computers running to make a huge difference.  It can be surprising what technology requirements can add up to!  Still trying to convince the "kids" that switches are bi-directional devices, and turn off as easily as on.

I still am of the opinion that if we all refused to buy motor fuel of any kind for one week, and just got by on what we had in the tank.... somebody would notice!

Conserve where you can, share what you can, and we'll all come through this together.

Take Care;
Doug

"what is this quintessence of dust?"  - Shakespeare
  • upyerkilt
  • upyerkilt
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Re: Earth Hour

someone at a substation went a bit far here today. Most of Glasgow and the west of Scotland were all cut off from electric for 2 hours.
In my work the electric guzzling machines all packed in with a big vvvvvvvvvvvvvooooohhhhhhhh silence

So we in Scotland have done better than most today lol

Ken

ye get some that are cut out for the job and others just get by from pretending
  • From: Renfrewshire, Scotland
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 1,359

Re: Earth Hour

I never heard about this, Ken. You sure you didn't just have a Buckfast lunch again? winklol

Is anything really made up of zeros and ones??

alvee33's Website

  • upyerkilt
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Re: Earth Hour

lol
very sure Al.
It was even on the news and the radio was giving 15 minute updates.
And I cannot stand buckfast ( wheres the smilie for throwing up? )

You are on the wrong side of the river, your supply was probably ok.

Ken

ye get some that are cut out for the job and others just get by from pretending
  • Zurf
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Re: Earth Hour

Nah.  I didn't do squat.  Publicity nonsense to make folks who squander energy and resources all the time feel good about themselves by turning off the lights for an hour.  Not my thing. 

I did write to my state about biosolid permit hearings, volunteered at my church, played all day with my kids and taught them about natural things and protecting water resources at an aquarium, and gave my neighbors beer and whiskey in the back yard so that they weren't home with the lights one.  The last one was just fortuitous circumstance.  I got back from my outing with the kids and my neighbors were all hanging out in the back yard with the kids playing on the playset (this is normal in our neighborhood), and so I just naturally broke out some booze.  I was eager for a beer (Bass - the UK knows their ale) and didn't want to seem stingy. 

Hey Ken, that's a great idea of going for 24 hours.  Almost like an Earth Day.  Now if someone would just come up with something like that, I'm sure it would catch on.  Probably something in spring, but not too early.  About a month in.  Around April 22 would be good...  big_smile

- Zurf

Granted B chord amnesty by King of the Mutants (Long live the king).
If it comes from the heart and you add a few beers... it'll be awesome! - Mekidsmom
When in doubt ... hats. - B.G. Dude
  • upyerkilt
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Re: Earth Hour

lol Zurf,

You are absolutely right about governments wanting folk to turn things off and they do it thinking they are doing good. Like i said why make this once a year? it should be at least once a day. but it must have made some sort of difference if everyone switches off for an hour, at the very least it would annoy the fat cats of the electric board lol thats got to be worth joing in

As I have mentioned a lot of times about me and my hillawalking and visiting bothies, I have an earth weekend. No electric, tap water or any home comforts for a whole weekend, and then I go camping a lot and teaching the kids how to light different sorts of fires and cook how to cook on them, how to have fun with just stones and sticks, how to admire the hills and the wildlife on them and what you can eat and what not to eat, and only to kill fish and other animals you are going to eat.

I do a lot more in a weekend for the earth than I could ever do sitting with a candle on in the house.

Ken

ye get some that are cut out for the job and others just get by from pretending
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
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Re: Earth Hour

Zurf wrote:

Around April 22 would be good...  big_smile

- Zurf

But  April 20th would be better

Give everything but up.
  • Registered: 2007-04-03
  • Posts: 3,489

Re: Earth Hour

I am fanatical about turnning off switches. I do have energy savers where possible.

I recycle , reuse, or gift what i dont need. if i cook to much food , then a neighbour who has lots of children benifits.

I have a composter, use egg shells to deter slugs, dont drive a 4 wheel drive to the local shops. But I do spend a lot of time on this PC writing .

Am i just fooling myself then ? . Does anyone know what a PC uses electricity wise ?

I personally would like to see the big Food chains  contribute more ecologically. We dont need our food in layers and layers of wrapping.

Give me the farmers markets any ole day of the week.

Every  hour of every day should be the Focus. . i guess we have to start somewhere though.

Old Doll.

Why Blend in with the Crowd ? When you were made to stand out !
  • From: Madeira Beach, Florida
  • Registered: 2007-12-05
  • Posts: 3,312

Re: Earth Hour

Old Doll wrote:

But I do spend a lot of time on this PC writing .

Am i just fooling myself then ? . Does anyone know what a PC uses electricity wise ?

Old Doll.

No need to fret Old Doll, a typical PC uses about 100 watts of electricity while it's being used.  About as much as a single light bulb. In "sleep mode" with the monitor off, the PC uses even less. The big energy users in a typical house are heating, water heater, refrigeration and cooling. A typical water heater draws 4,000 to 5,000 watts in comparison (although it does cycle on and off via a thermostat). It is a good idea to turn the PC off while not in use (overnight), and LCD monitors are much more energy efficient that the old CRT types.

Rule No. 1 - If it sounds good - it is good!
  • Zurf
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Re: Earth Hour

SouthPaw41L wrote:
Zurf wrote:

Around April 22 would be good...  big_smile

- Zurf

But  April 20th would be better

What's the 20th?  Earth Day is April 22.  I know this because it's my eldest daughter's birthday and she goes around saying "Earth Day is my birthday" more often than you'd think necessary.  I guess in true American style, perhaps we have moved the day to celebrate Earth Day from Earth Day to a totally different non-Earth Day to make it fall on a weekend or something. 

More than you ever would want to know: http://ww2.earthday.net/node/13689

- Zurf

Granted B chord amnesty by King of the Mutants (Long live the king).
If it comes from the heart and you add a few beers... it'll be awesome! - Mekidsmom
When in doubt ... hats. - B.G. Dude
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
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Re: Earth Hour

It's a hippie thing Zurf, google 4-20 and your question will be promptly answered.....

Give everything but up.